Associate Vice President of Communications - Norman, United States - InsideHigherEd

Description

Organization

The Associate Vice President of Communications (AVP Comms) is the second-most senior position in the University of Oklahoma's integrated Marketing and Communications Department and is responsible for the university's proactive and reactive earned media, its owned media strategy through publications and newsletters, and internal communications, including executive leadership. Through a carefully coordinated marketing and communications plan rooted in the university's strategic plan, the AVP of Comms will lead a team of strategists, writers, editors, and media specialists who will help elevate the brand and reputation of the university by proactively telling the OU story through multiple channels, respond to and mitigate effectively issues of public interest, and communicate to one of the university's most influential audiences its faculty, staff and students as well as other key stakeholders to ensure the university message is resonating with these important constituencies.

The AVP of Comms must be a strategic and critical thinker with the ability to act proactively and reactively, anticipating outcomes and adjusting the university message or medium to best position the university on topics of international, national, state and local interest. The ideal candidate must understand the higher education landscape both nationally and in Oklahoma and must have proven ability in anticipating, responding to and mitigating issues and crises with reputational consequences; developing and deploying shared strategies for an integrated, university wide approach for telling the university's story in its owned publications; and positioning university leadership as national thought leaders in higher education, as well as other industries as appropriate. This position also will lead a team that will be chiefly responsible for generating university content that is adapted and deployed for various university earned and owned channels. To this end, the AVP of Comms must have a keen sense of topics of public interest with a strategic mindset of how best to message, position and distribute those stories so they have the greatest impact possible.

The AVP of Comms must possess proven results in proactive and reactive media relations, including crisis communications; have skills and knowledge in integrating disparate publications, newsletters and bulletins into a cohesive, unified strategy for telling the university's story to key constituents; and have demonstrated experience in successfully working with key leadership to develop a message and platform that elevates the reputation of the University of Oklahoma in the state and beyond.

Essential Duties:

• Leads, oversees, and reports on the university's earned media function, including proactive pitching of stories of state, national and international consequence, particularly those with a research-related perspective.
• Develops an earned media plan to proactively identify opportunities to tell the university's story through external media, including industry-related publications and trade journals.
• Develops and cultivates professional relationships with local, state and national news reporters, especially those focused on higher education, to help ensure the University of Oklahoma is part of the national higher education discourse.
• Manages a team of media relations specialists who mine for, develop, and proactively pitch stories related to the work of the university at the college, center or institute level; guide this team in thinking across communication channels to ensure stories are distributed in the most effective and efficient forms to ensure the broadest reach and exposure.
• In conjunction with the Vice President of Marketing and Communications and university leadership, leads the university's issues management and crisis response in matters of local, state, national and international consequence, including anticipating topics of interest, generating statements or responses as appropriate, serving as the university's spokesperson as needed, and benchmarking and tracking university messaging compared to other higher education peers.
• In coordination with the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, identifies, strategizes, and formalizes opportunities with statewide and national media to help position the university president as a thought leader in higher education with a messaging platform that advances the image and reputation of the University of Oklahoma and higher education in general.
• Sets, monitors, and reports on key performance indicators as related to earned media; contribute to an ongoing dashboard of marketing and communications impact.
• Develops, implements, and monitors a university wide strategy for telling the university's story both internally and externally through a coordinated and unified approach to owned publications, including the university's magazines, newsletters, bulletins and other print and digital communications.
• Seeks and finds opportunities to bring to life and promote the university's areas of excellence, research, strategic accomplishments and initiatives, and other news and information worthy of promotion to internal and external audiences as a way to build the reputation, prestige and affinity for the University of Oklahoma.
• Researches, develops, and implements distribution models for the university's owned content that is in keeping with national best practices in higher education and that maximize engagement.
• Develops a system to appropriately and quantifiably monitor and measure the impact of the university's owned publications to ensure OU's stories are resonating with its key audiences and there is adequate return on investment.
• Identifies and initiates opportunities for the MarComm team to deploy a multimedia approach to storytelling that utilizes video, photography and other mediums as appropriate to build message resonance and engagement.
• Ensures all university publications adhere to brand standards, are of a caliber worthy of the university's brand, and comply with AP style.
• In coordination with the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, helps position the university president as a thought leader in higher education with a message and platform that advances the reputation and image of the University of Oklahoma, draws the attention of prospective students, faculty and donors, and advances the cause of higher education to the citizenry of Oklahoma and beyond.
• In coordination with the President's Office and the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, strategizes and intentionally selects opportunities for the university president to share his message to audiences inside and outside the state to help ensure the university's message is reaching appropriate audiences.
• Identifies opportunities and works to position other executive leaders at the university to be thought leaders as well, including the provosts and vice provosts of research, as a means to additionally amplify the university's impact on the state, region, and world.
• Oversees, provides strategic guidance and edit all forms of internal communications, including mass emails on topics of high sensitivity, university updates to key constituency groups, and correspondence responses as appropriate.
• Oversees and provides strategic guidance on planning for, implementing and tracking work related to multi-channel internal campaigns, including promotion of special recognition days/weeks/months and initiatives or projects of broad campus interest.
• Researches, develops, monitors, and reports on metrics for engagement with key stakeholders to help ensure the university's messages are resonating and contributing to a positive image of the university.
• Performs various duties as needed to successfully fulfill the function of the position.

Job Location

Required Education: Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications or similar field, AND:

• A minimum of 10 years professional experience.

Equivalency/Substitution: Will accept 48 months of related experience in lieu of a Bachelor's Degree for a total of 168 months of experience.

Skills:

• Ability to think strategically and critically under pressure and communicate clearly, concisely and with precision
• Proven experience serving as a spokesperson for a large, matrixed organization
• Demonstrated ability to deploy good judgment and to make critical decisions with little-to-no oversight
• Understanding and appreciation for when and how to deploy appropriate university communication channels and a firm understanding of the synergies that exist between them for maximum amplification of a message
• Ability to work across the university with various stakeholders, including MarComm colleagues, to implement best-in class practices and win-win solutions
• Adherence to high standards and deadlines, and a commitment to continual refinement and tracking to ensure the university's messages are resonating as appropriate
• Understanding of the national higher education landscape, its challenges and opportunities
• Commitment to creative thinking, utilizing best practices and consistently striving for achieving greater results
• Ability to work with external vendors
• Impeccable oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
• Attention to detail and ability to be highly organized and handle multiple projects and deadlines

Certifications:

• None

Department Preferences:

• Higher education is preferred.

Advertised Physical Requirements:

• Physical: Ability to engage in repetitive motion and communicate effectively.
• Environmental: Standard Office Environment. Flexibility and ability to manage priorities and conflicting time demands.

Supervision: Manage a team of media relations specialists.

Special Instructions: If you are selected as a final candidate for this position, you will be subject to The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Tuberculosis Testing policy. To view the policy, visit

Why You Belong at the University of Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma fosters an inclusive culture of respect and civility, belonging, and access, which are essential to our collective pursuit of excellence and our determination to change lives. The unique talents, perspectives, and experiences of our community enrich the learning, and working environment at OU, inspiring us to harness our innovation, creativity, and collaboration for the advancement of people everywhere.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: The University of Oklahoma, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, housing, services in educational programs or activities, and health care services that the University operates or provides.

Organization: Marketing & Communications
Job Location: Oklahoma-Norman-Norman Campus
Schedule: Full-time
Job Posting: Mar 8, 2024